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Thomas Merton: Prophetic Peacemaker
James Bacik
Introduction
1. During this centenary of his birth, Merton, the Trappist monk, made famous by his autobiography
Seven Storey Mountain, has been celebrated as a spiritual master with helpful ideas on
contemplative prayer, becoming our true self, racial justice, interfaith dialogue and as the great icon
of justice and peace.
2. We are interested in retrieving the example and ideas of Merton for current reflection and action (cf
The Secret Thought of Thomas Merton by David Givey (2009)).
3. He moved from renouncing this world to live as a monk to recognizing that contemplative prayer
leads to care for this world and to participating in the works of charity, justice and peace.
4. Today we are faced with continued and new challenges to peace: new versions of Russian expansion
(Ukraine); Iranian nuclear ambitions; North Korean threats; China's weapons buildup; terrorism
from ISIS and al Qaeda; nuclear proliferation.
5. Books by Merton: The 1980 revised edition of Thomas Merton on Peace; Seeds of Destruction
(especially pp. 93-183); Peace in the Post-Christian Era (intended for publication in 1963 but only
appeared in 2004 due to Church censorship); Faith and Violence (1968).
I. Merton's Peace Efforts
A. Move to greater involvement in social issues
1. He began corresponding with Dorothy Day and on July 9, 1959 praised Day for giving
witness like Gandhi.
2. In 1961 Merton published in The Catholic Worker "The Root of War" insisting that Christians
must mobilize against war.
3. October 23, 1961 in his journal he said he was "at the turning point of my spiritual life:
noting he was one of the few priests advocating "the abolition of war" and use of "nonviolent means to settle international conflicts."
4. He served as a "pastor to peacemakers" according to Jim Forest.
5. He secretly joined the peace activist group, largely Protestant Fellowship of Reconciliation
(FOR) and allowed his name to be used for the founding of the Catholic Peace Fellowship
(CPF) in 1964. He thought the peace movement needed more structure and should
concentrate more on "apostolic work" (educating people on peace) than protesting which
can get out of hand (for example, Roger LaPort burning himself which caused Merton to
temporarily (one week) resign from CPF.
6. November 18-20,1964 Merton hosted at Gethsemane a retreat for peacemakers (present
were Mennonite John Howard Yoder, the Berrigan brothers, and A. J. Muste). They
discussed the spiritual roots of protest and the role of technology in violence.
7. Merton was pleased with the Vatican II Pastoral Constitution (1965) condemning war aimed
at civilians and supporting conscientious objection.
8. In December of 1965 (after he moved to his hermitage) he wrote that the peace movement
needed "patient, constructive and pastoral work" rather than protests that "antagonize the
average person."
9. December 29,1965 he wrote a long letter to Jim Forest (Letter to a Young Activist) advising
him "not to depend on results" and reminding him of the importance of "personal
relationships" which "save everything" and "the less dramatic" apostolic job of helping
people "change their minds". The letter had strong spiritual advice: "the big results" are not
in our hands" but we should allow ourselves "to be used by God's love," "just serve Christ's
truth" and we can do more and be "less crushed by the inevitable disappointments;" the

Thomas Merton: Prophetic Peacemaker
James Bacik
Introduction
1. During this centenary of his birth, Merton, the Trappist monk, made famous by his autobiography
Seven Storey Mountain, has been celebrated as a spiritual master with helpful ideas on
contemplative prayer, becoming our true self, racial justice, interfaith dialogue and as the great icon
of justice and peace.
2. We are interested in retrieving the example and ideas of Merton for current reflection and action (cf
The Secret Thought of Thomas Merton by David Givey (2009)).
3. He moved from renouncing this world to live as a monk to recognizing that contemplative prayer
leads to care for this world and to participating in the works of charity, justice and peace.
4. Today we are faced with continued and new challenges to peace: new versions of Russian expansion
(Ukraine); Iranian nuclear ambitions; North Korean threats; China's weapons buildup; terrorism
from ISIS and al Qaeda; nuclear proliferation.
5. Books by Merton: The 1980 revised edition of Thomas Merton on Peace; Seeds of Destruction
(especially pp. 93-183); Peace in the Post-Christian Era (intended for publication in 1963 but only
appeared in 2004 due to Church censorship); Faith and Violence (1968).
I. Merton's Peace Efforts
A. Move to greater involvement in social issues
1. He began corresponding with Dorothy Day and on July 9, 1959 praised Day for giving
witness like Gandhi.
2. In 1961 Merton published in The Catholic Worker "The Root of War" insisting that Christians
must mobilize against war.
3. October 23, 1961 in his journal he said he was "at the turning point of my spiritual life:
noting he was one of the few priests advocating "the abolition of war" and use of "nonviolent means to settle international conflicts."
4. He served as a "pastor to peacemakers" according to Jim Forest.
5. He secretly joined the peace activist group, largely Protestant Fellowship of Reconciliation
(FOR) and allowed his name to be used for the founding of the Catholic Peace Fellowship
(CPF) in 1964. He thought the peace movement needed more structure and should
concentrate more on "apostolic work" (educating people on peace) than protesting which
can get out of hand (for example, Roger LaPort burning himself which caused Merton to
temporarily (one week) resign from CPF.
6. November 18-20,1964 Merton hosted at Gethsemane a retreat for peacemakers (present
were Mennonite John Howard Yoder, the Berrigan brothers, and A. J. Muste). They
discussed the spiritual roots of protest and the role of technology in violence.
7. Merton was pleased with the Vatican II Pastoral Constitution (1965) condemning war aimed
at civilians and supporting conscientious objection.
8. In December of 1965 (after he moved to his hermitage) he wrote that the peace movement
needed "patient, constructive and pastoral work" rather than protests that "antagonize the
average person."
9. December 29,1965 he wrote a long letter to Jim Forest (Letter to a Young Activist) advising
him "not to depend on results" and reminding him of the importance of "personal
relationships" which "save everything" and "the less dramatic" apostolic job of helping
people "change their minds". The letter had strong spiritual advice: "the big results" are not
in our hands" but we should allow ourselves "to be used by God's love," "just serve Christ's
truth" and we can do more and be "less crushed by the inevitable disappointments;" the